Kleidung
Men feed upon these vanities and rejoice in these pomps. . . . — Girolamo Savonarola One of the most overlooked aspects of character design is what your character wears. Certainly it’s not as important as her personality, driving motives. skills or magicks, but your character’s wardrobe does indicate her origins, means, occupation, tastes or even her political inclinations. So what’s haute couture in the early Renaissance? Well, it depends a lot on who you are and where you’re from. Fashion Trends The majority of Renaissance fashions originate in Italy. The Italians have cornered the silk trade, so the finest silks, velvets and brocades (as well as a host of other fine fabrics) are produced by them. Italian noblemen and merchants don brightly colored silk hose, held up by decorative, colorful ribbons or jeweled garters at the knee. Some men wear short “pumpkin” breeches to cover their thighs, while others wear a looser-fitting form of hose. These upper leggings are often multicolored and pat— temed with intricate designs. Gentlemen wear a codpiece to make up for the lack of fabric between the legs. This piece of clothing had humble beginnings as a simple piece of cloth that attached to the upper hose or breeches with ribbon, but it becomes a“status symbol” by Henry VIll's time. Some codpieces are padded or even bejeweled. A long shirt, most likely of silk or fine linen, laces at the neck and wrists and is worn over the tights. A man of taste also wears a doublet — the Renaissance answer to the fancy'dress jacket. The doublet serves a practical function as well as a stylistic one. Upper hose are tied to the doublet and the ties are tucked in or hidden with a belt or sash. Doublets can be simple affairs of sober, dark wool or they can be colorful extravaganzas of heavy velvet, fine brocade and intricate embroidery. A fine dresser finishes his en- semble with a cape, some well—heeled shoes or boots, and a ﬂat or round cap with a feather. And the ladies? An Italian lady of the upper classes going into the streets wouldn’t do so without a pair of chopines (an early form of platform shoes) to keep her fine shoes and skirt hems out of the muck. Wearing these stacked shoes under a heavy dress can sometimes imbalance the lady. Fortunately, the well—groomed maid has servants to tend to her every step! Ladies' gowns are styled with a high waist, long skirts and elaborate sleeves. Dressing begins with a silk or linen underslip called a chemise, followed by an underskirt of a solid-colored silk material, over which is worn a heavy skirt or dress of brocade or velvet. The overskirt or —dress is usually quite ornamental, decorated with gold or silver trim, embroidery and a multitude of jewels and beads. The sleeves are tied to the dress, allowing for versatility as a lady varies her gown simply by changing the sleeves. Such ﬁnery wasn’t for everyday, unless one was noble; wool and broadcloth were often used for daily wear. Of course, the lady of taste also wears that essential fashion accessory — the corset. It’s likely made of steel, iron or stiff leather, to keep the bosom high and the waist at a svelte 13 inches. After all, as Catherine de Medici duly notes, “A thick waist is bad manners.” Normal waistlines are accepted eventually, and corsets become more ornamental rather than practical. The lady may also be burdened with a farthingale, an early form of the hoop skirt created by the Spanish. During the reign of Elizabeth, the drum—style farthingale makes it quite difficult for dashing young rogues to get close to their sweet hearts, and occasionally to get through doors. As for ladies' headwear, the cumbersome (if not danger; ous) pointy hats of medieval days have thankfully passed in favor of more ﬂattering styles. The gabled hat is tres chic in well— dressed English social circles. It sits on the back of the head and is shaped like a small gabled roof —— hence the name. Another significant fashion change occurs in the 15th century: Women display their hair. During the passe medieval days, noble women covered their hair (revealing it was consid ered sinful), and spent hours in front of the mirror plucking back their hairlines for a semi—balding effect. It’s not uncom— mon now to see young (unmarried) women wearing their hair uncovered and simply arranged, perhaps even with a sheer veil. Married women style theirs in intricate braid designs and choose head coverings that suggest modesty, but that show off the intricacy of their locks as well. Common Folk The average man or woman cannot afford to observe fashion trends because they are still in the fields -— and in the dark ages of style. Peasant women wear Chemises, much like noblewomen but of much less expensive material, over which a simple wool skirt and frontvlacing bodice is worn. Hats vary depending on climate and occupation (and wealth or availability of fabric), but the average housewife wears a variation of the wimple (a piece of cloth draped about the neck that completely encircles the face, sometimes topped off with a veil) or a muffin cap, which looks like an extra puffy beret, worn on the back of the head. It’s perfectly acceptable for peasant women to expose their legs below the knee. When you’re working the fields, it’s really not practical to drag your skirts — quite possibly your only skirts — through the mud. Common practice dictates drawing skirts up to keep them out of the way. What if you want your female character to wear pants? That’s up to you, but understand that her reputation will be held in serious question if the shape of her thighs is exposed. Only a prostitute shows her whole leg. Ironically, the bare female breast is tolerated in the Renaissance. Children must be suckled. and most women have at least one-child to care for. It’s a lot of trouble to strip every time a baby needs feeding so the bodice loosens to allow access to the breasts. Some women, especially prostitutes and courtesans, bare their bosoms in public for other reasons. It’s not that the female breast isn’t attractive in this period. it's simply not forbidden —— and is less intriguing as a result. The ordinary working man wears plainer versions of a nobleman's clothes — hose or some form of leg‘covering under a long shirt. A tunic replaces the doublet, although a doublet might be worn for special occasions. The tunic is typically worn with a belt. The pocket has yet to be invented, soeverythingaperson carries is hungon his belt in pouches or is attached to his belt by pieces of cord. Consider that when deciding what items your character keeps with him. If an item can’t go in a satchel, pouch or on a belt, then it’s probably cumbersome and gets in the way at the most inappropriate times. Shoes are an optional part of peasant dress, partly because they’re impractical unless it's extremely cold, but mostly because they’re terribly expensive. Poor folk, especially children and laborers, often go barefoot. Early Renaissance shoes are made of leather wrapped around the foot and gathered at the ankle, then tied like a bag. The ingenious Dutch carve shoes from wood. These are better known as sabots. Shoemaking is a laborious craft; you can’t just go in and pick a pair, they have to be custommade! Hence, footwear — or the lack of it — is an indication of status. Soldiers What about fighting men? Steel is quite expensive and hard to come by, so only noblemen possess full sets of chainmail or plate armor. Thus, only noblemen or their sons serve as knights. Everyone else wears armor made of thick leather, or the gambeson. If your character owns armor, it’s likely a piecemeal of several different kinds and is probably handed down to him or her by a relative (like the “crow’s mail" dis— cussed in The Sorcerers Crusade, Chapter VII). Soldiers in the Italian and Swedeish armies wear long, organ pleated skirts. These troops are considered the height of military fashion — even Michelangelo wants to paint their portraits! Spanish fighting men are recognizable by their extremely long, pointed armored shoes. Swiss soldiers started the fashion known as “slashing.” It consists of cutting several small slits in an outer garment, say a doublet, and pulling through the contrasting material underneath. Slashing in sleeves or garments appears in many countries, from Italy to England, but the Germanic peoples make the most use of it. Slashed intentionally or not, military dress takes a beating. Between training, marching, fighting and the endless rigors of camp life, a soldier gets dirty — really dirty. His garments must be strong and easily mended. A fine suit is a waste of time and money. A fighting man lives on his feet, and his clothes display his hard life. And So... Fashion trends are usually local and based on whatever whim the ruling class pursues at any particular time. Styles take a lot longer to spread than they will in the 20th century — England achieves the height of Renaissance fashion much later than do the Italians or the Dutch. It’s perfectly acceptable to see people in a multitude of different styles. Self‘expression is one of the main tenets of intellectual Renaissance philoso— phy. What better way to express oneself than through clothing? Yet, despite this crazy patchwork, some fashions remain constant and some are even prescribed. Mercantile guilds advise their members to wear dark or somber colors and to avoid ornamentation to gain and keep their customers’ respect. This might seem strange, but consider that black and indigo dye is extremely expensive; thus, wearing dark clothes suggests prosperity. Priests and nuns have a standardized dress code. The cassock, a longvsleeved, robelike garment, is everyday wear for a priest. It has a regulation 33 buttons, one for each year of Christ’s life. Nuns wear simple dresses with an over— cape and a wimple and veil, quite similar to what they wore in medieval times. Keeping warm in the winter months deterv mines fashion as well. Granted, a peasant’s cloak isn’t as heavy or as well-cut as a noblewoman's cloak, but the design and function are similar. There are even laws that govern acceptable dress for the classes. Peasants are not allowed to wear decorative trim or ribbons except on feast days. Such ornaments are suited only to those of higher station. Members of the middle class must take care with the colors they choose, and must never wear metallic trim; certain colors and gold and silver ornament are reserved for nobility. These sumptuary laws require that trans— gressors pay a hefty tax for fashion violations! However, these laws are dismissed quickly for those who can afford the luxury. Kategorie:Ulmer Geld Kategorie:Renaissance Flavor